


Obliviate

by Fira21



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-09
Updated: 2012-10-09
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:55:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1405639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fira21/pseuds/Fira21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An obliviate set with a hesitant hand will not take.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Obliviate

An obliviate set with a hesitant hand will not take.

Not properly at least.

It was something Neville learned later on, after the Battle of Hogwarts, after it all was said and done. Rubble littered the familiar paths, bodies lined in mostly neat rows of the Great Hall. One in particular had caught and held his eye.

Greasy hair, a long hooked nose, and sallow skin. The face of his nightmares and yet...

And yet he was still stained with blood, his body cleaned but his robes still dark and sticky.

And yet his face was different, the sneer he so oft thought of smoothed and relaxed in repose, a sight he had never seen or ever expected to see.

And yet as he looked on his brain swelled with half-remembered ideas, wisps of thoughts. He forgot things often it was true, and he knew the best way was to not think about it at all and eventually it would come to him.

So he sat down on the steps outside the hall and just _breathed_.

As he did, he remembered.

_‘We can’t completely destroy the students you blithering idiot. We will need them and relatively whole preferably. Practice your spells on the seventh years and leave the first years for when they are better prepared.’_

The seventh years were more than prepared to take a curse for the first years. Eventually, they had stopped needing to goad the Death Eaters to hit them first. Eventually, they had stopped practicing curses on first years and instead moved to fifth and sixths.

_‘They_ are _purebloods after all. They deserve a modicum of respect.’_

_‘It will take_ time _for them to accept this new order. Of course they will accept it you fool, but hexing an eleven year old to madness will leave us with another idiot like Potter. Strutting around the school, thinking he knows best and creating another army. The young ones are impressionable. Give them a soft hand and they’ll believe you’re a friend and_ that _is how we’ll trap them.’_

Snape patrolling the halls, talking to the Death Eaters, a stern look, haunted eyes, _‘I’ll take care of them.’_ Detention with Hagrid, with Sprout, with McGonagall, with anyone _not a Death Eater_.

_‘Potter was a fool, thinking he could create an army, no one else would be half as idiotic. Room of Requirement? You must be mistaken. That room was disabled the moment I took charge. Do you_ really _think I would leave a temptation like that for another foolish Gryffindor to take advantage of?’_

But he _had_ left it. He _had_.

And finally, the last...

_‘What are you playing at Snape?’_

_‘Headmaster Snape if you_ could _remember Longbottom.’_

_‘The first years speak of you like you’re an_ ally _. More flies with honey than with vinegar then? ...What are you_ playing _at?’_

_‘I am as I have always been Longbottom. I have no need to_ play _at anything.’_

_‘Bullshit. If that was the case the first years wouldn’t like you. You wouldn’t have protected them, you wouldn’t have stopped the Carrows from almost drowning Ginny last week. If I didn’t know any better I’d almost think...’_

_‘Think what?’_

_‘... No, you killed Dumbledore. You can’t be on our side.’_

So many doubts, so many and yet...

_‘But I don’t get it. Why would you...’_

_‘Don’t presume to know my motives boy.’ A sneer, but half-hearted._

_‘You’re not actually... But that would mean...’_

_A wand, pointed to his head. ‘As I said, I am as I have always been, and I always will be as I am. Surprising as it may seem Longbottom, I never took you for a fool.’_

_‘How many times now?’_

_‘Enough that I’m growing weary of it. I do not believe you’ve ever remembered something this often before in your life you annoyingly persistent child. As it is I cannot have you wandering the halls with the wrong impression.’_

_‘Or the right impression, Headmaster?’_

_A self-deprecating smile. ‘Possibly. But you’ll not remember will you?’_

_A flash of light..._

_‘Longbottom. What are you up to? Back to bed, or will I have to... persuade you?’_

_A shake of the head, a glare as he stalked off. ‘Slimy git.’_

_But part of him didn’t quite believe it and he had a hard time shrugging that feeling off._

“Wrackspurts Neville?” He looked up to Luna’s smile.

“No, not quite.”He murmured. “Just remembering.”

Remembering. Remembering and forgiving.


End file.
